


I'm Listening

by ChibiWrites



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Ambigous Ending, Angst, Gen, I'm not used to doing fight scenes so bear with me please, Other, brief mention and talk of other characters, can be seen as shippy or not, hyped after S5 and spoilers are in here but not much, implied character death but not certain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-29 00:19:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13915347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiWrites/pseuds/ChibiWrites
Summary: Lance couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. His mind keeps reeling back to when they were all in Voltron. Shiro tried to tell him something but what was it? Lance felt like he needed to know the answer because it was important to find out.





	I'm Listening

**Author's Note:**

> This is not beta'd and honestly might edit this later to add in things or change so be aware of that.  
> I might make a sequel to this or add in alternate endings because my mind is just going all over the place with possibilities. Feel free to comment and let me know what you think.

Everything is going great!

Zarkon, our big bad is dead. Lotor is our friend? At least, he’s working with us instead of against us so that’s a positive. Allura just unlocked secrets of Altean Atlantis and we got more planets joining our cause.

Everything is going great… so why does something feel off? Maybe it’s because we never had so much good coming our way without something going terribly wrong. It feels like a calm before the storm. I can’t get over Shiro admitting to me that he felt off. I mean, yeah, the guy was kind of snippy with the rest of us before and maybe was having some Keith withdraw seeing as Shiro was pulling some reckless stunts but they all worked out in the end. Shiro has always had the best interest at heart but-

_It’s like… like I’m not myself_

Since we found him again after Keith became leader, he was different. First Black wouldn’t respond to him and then suddenly decides to reconnect to him. He is more or less the same overall but lately, his actions are worrying, Allura noticed too. But I can’t get over the time in the Voltron void. Shiro called out to me, he told me something important, but I can’t recall what it was. When I asked Shiro about it, he didn’t remember either. It’s just… I feel something is wrong and I can’t put my finger on it. I can’t go to the team without something to back it up.  I only have Shiro’s own words and if he only came to me then I doubt he’d want the rest of the team knowing right now. We have so many other things going on, best to not add unnecessary things to the pile of things we already got.

\--

“Paladins! Returning so soon? Is there anything we can help you with?” Ryner asked when the screen popped up.

“Ryner, we have much to discuss, it’s all good news and quite frankly, a little much to believe but we can convey the full story once our ship lands on Olkarian.”

“Of course, no problems at all Princess, Olkari always welcomes you here.”

“We also have Lotor with us, he’ll come and make a formal introduction with the Olkari.”

That brought tension to Ryner’s form but otherwise she nods with a ‘yes princess’ and breaks transmission.

 

Their landing was welcomed with a loud applause and cheers from the citizens as they gathered outside the Castle of Lions. Pidge and Hunk were soon carted off with young Olkari scientist, already lost into their own world of theories and discoveries as they discussed all they had seen since they last visited. Shiro, Allura, Coran, and Lotor met with Ryner to go over their recent trip to Oriande and contact the other leaders of planets, rebel forces, and the Blade of Marmora to plan the next step. There was a lot to discuss. Pidge and Hunk would meet up with them a little later.

“Lance, are you coming with us?” Shiro asked as they waved off the left side of Voltron, typically Lance went with the duo but because he wasn’t Shiro figured he’d follow them.

Lance however, stood still and staring off at the tides, the ship having docked near a mass of water. “I’ll… meet up in a bit. I have something I want to check out first.”

Shiro nods, “Alright, well you know where to find us, try and not to take too long, okay. We’ll need everyone to gather soon.”

“I know, don’t worry Shiro, I promise not to cause trouble.” He chuckles softly and watches Shiro’s retreating form follow the others. Lance sighs as he sat on the beach. The last time they were here, they barely made it out. They were lucky to merge with Voltron, becoming one with both the lions and themselves but it only brought back that negative feeling Lance has in the pit of his stomach. There was something amiss here and being brought back to this place, the moment when the team should have felt united, one complete being… he’s left with a sense of disconnect, like they are a well-oiled machine that has a misplaced gear, causing the entire thing to just barely make it through.

“Maybe it’s just me…” Lance mused to himself as he watched the water, he missed his family and for a moment, Lance closes his eyes imagining he could hear his nieces and nephews shout as they chase each other across the sand. He could imagine his sister collecting shells with his mother and grandmother, his brothers prompting him into surfing. “Hopefully Mr. Holt got back to Earth safely and gave them my message.”

_Lance. Lance, listen to me!_

A message… what was he trying to say? They don’t recall either, but Lance can’t shake Shiro told him something important. Something he shouldn’t forget.

Lance stared between the Castle of Lions and the Olkari palace where the others were. “I got some time…” Lance reasoned to himself as he heads towards the Castle and into the Red Lion’s hanger. 

 

“Okay, let’s do this.” Lance closed his eyes and focused on the memory. He needed to return to that void place. He and Red could do this. His brows scrunched up in concentration but felt nothing. Lance groans as he opened his eyes to a dark cockpit. Lance hums, taps his fingers against his leg as he wonders. “Wait, we entered that realm after we all used our bayards. Maybe…” Lance trailed off as he summons the red bayard. He closes his eyes to concentrate on the memory. “Take me there…” He mumbles as he slots the bayard into the socket and turns it.

“Nothing.” Lance returns the bayard into his suit with a sigh. “This won’t work, we only managed that because all of us did it together. There’s no way to do it from here.” But there was still no shaking off that he needs to try harder, he needs to know what happened. Lance continues to mull over his thoughts as he exits the hanger and into the hall. “I wish I could just playback what happened, but Red can’t read minds, only knows what I know and the rest…” Lance pauses as a new idea came through. “Maybe Black will have an answer for me.” Surely that’ll solve it. Black can just give him a small glimpse to what happened and then Lance could let go of that nagging feeling. He only needed a minute or two.

Easier said than done. The moment Lance entered the center hanger he froze, staring up at the head of Voltron. The last time he went into Black, Blue shut him out, he was unable to be with his favorite girl anymore… what if Red shut him out after this?

“No… that’s-that’s just silly...” Lance reasons, after all, he’s not trying to fly the Black Lion, so it’ll be okay. Lance took long strides into the Black lion, honestly surprised when the barrier went down once he got close enough. “Hey, Black… I just… well I know it’ll sound crazy and all, but it would really help me feel better if you could do me a favor.” Lance made his way up the steps and soon was in the pilot’s seat. “Okay, remember last time we were here… when all of us were all connected? Shiro… he tried to tell me something in that void thing, but he doesn’t recall telling me and I couldn’t hear him, but I know he said something to me. I can’t go into that void again without the rest but maybe… do you think you could reach into the memory and bring it out? Shiro explained to us that you did it before… when you showed him the origins of where you came from. I only need a couple minutes. I feel like Shiro tried to tell me something important and I need your help with that. I won’t bother you again, I promise so please… let me connect with you.”

Lance gripped tight onto the controls and closed his eyes. “Shiro. I’m listening… What were you trying to tell me?” Lance hopes this worked, he hopes that he’s wrong, that this negative feeling residing in his gut is wrong, he just needs an answer, just needs to go back to when they became one with Voltron.

 

Lance opens his eyes to a new void. This one was different from the other. The first one had a place where everyone stood, there was energy that swirled around them that reminded Lance of a flowing river, but this place was different. It was dark expanse of space. Stars all around even at his feet. The only sense of up and down was the amount of gravity this place possessed.

“Black? What is this place? This… this isn’t the same one as before. Is this a memory?”

_“Lance?”_

“Shiro?” Lance turns to find that Shiro is indeed there, standing right in front of him. Something is different though, Lance isn’t quite sure what it was, but he felt relief seeing him. “Hey, do you know what Black is doing here?” Lance wonders as he walks towards Shiro. “What’s going on? How are you here right now?”

Shiro shakes his head. _“Lance, I need you to listen to me!”_

“What is it?”

_“Lance, you need to stop me now.”_

“Stop… you?”

 _“It’s that witch, Haggar, she did something…”_ Shiro’s hand gripped tight over his prosthetic limb. _“My eyes, she’s spying on us… right now through me. You need to stop me!!”_

“What are you talking about? We can’t just hurt you!!”

_“Lance, there is no choice! Everyone is in danger, please you need to warn everyone and stop him. I have no control here.”_

“I had a feeling something was up but… to think it was this.” Lance nods towards Shiro. “I understand. We’ll stop her, don’t worry Shiro!”

_“I know you guys can.”_

“We’ll help you, get you out of this place and back where you belong. We’ll save you Shiro!!”

Shiro smiled at him but there was something hollow in his gaze. _“Lance, I’m going to need you to do something important…”_ Shiro walked closer to him. _“You need to stop her no matter what. I won’t be upset, if it comes down to it…”_ Shiro reached out to touch his shoulder _, “Even if you have to ki-“_

 

“Lance?”

Lance gasps as his eyes flew open. He was back in the lion’s seat, hands gripped tight on the stick and sweat dripping on his brow. Lance felt a tight grip on his shoulder and turned his head to see a hand resting there. His gaze travels up the arm to see the owner was Shiro himself.

_“My eyes, she’s spying on us… right now through me.”_

Lance swallowed the large lump in his throat as he stared into Shiro’s concern gaze. The same gaze that Haggar no doubt was reading every expression on Lance’s face. It couldn’t be, Lance didn’t want to believe it but if that really was Shiro, why would he tell Lance to be cautious of himself? It wouldn’t make any sense and there is no way Black would want harm to come to Shiro. It had to be true, the changes with Shiro, his struggle reconnecting with the Black Lion, his going behind the team’s back, even the Shiro here admitted to not being himself… maybe… maybe it really was her.

“Lance, what are you doing in the Black Lion?”

“Oh, hey Shi-ro. It’s nothing… just, ya’know me goofing around.” Lance laughs nervously as he stands up and abruptly pulls away from Shiro’s touch. Before, he wouldn’t mind but with the new revelation he learned about… he could hardly stomach knowing that the witch, the one Lotor acknowledged as their biggest threat, is watching him right now. She’s been watching for who knows how long now. Everything they’ve been working for, everything they have fought for, it could all fall apart with her knowing their plans.

“Anyways, the meeting is starting soon right? That’s why you got me.” Lance assumes as he scratches the back of his head. He mentally curses at himself for not having his helmet on him. He would contact the rest, but Black won’t start for him and his helmet was left in Red, he was stuck alone. He had to get to the others, quick.

“Yeah, I did, you seemed to be in a daze before. Did something happen?” Shiro asks, concerned for his comrade. Further in his subconscious, Haggar watched, observing, connecting the dots. She knew that he knew and that just won’t do.

“Oh, nothing really, just… thinking about things anyways, we better go meet the others. Wouldn’t want to keep the Princess waiting.” Lance begins to walk out, trying to keep a casual stance but was working up to a quick semi jog. He needed to get away now.

Lance barely made it out of the lion when he caught the faint sound of the mechanical arm activating. He dodges the swing of Shiro’s arm, but his armor didn’t get away unscathed, one of his jetpacks was compromised but Lance still used the one functioning one to gain space as he brings out his blaster.

“Shiro, don’t!!” Lance calls out. “I know this isn’t you, it’s that witch!!” Shiro was unfazed as he charged towards the younger paladin. Lance aimed his blaster towards Shiro’s feet, an attempt to make him lose his footing and keep him at bay. “Please, I don’t want to fight you!!” Lance cries as Shiro kept going, his arm deflecting the blast. Lance steps back as Shiro gets closer trying to keep space between them. If only he could get Shiro in a room, he could lock him in.

“Shiro, come on, you can fight her! Resist!! You can’t let her control you!!” Lance hesitates to pull the trigger when Shiro got too close. The glowing arm reached out towards Lance and he swings his bayard up. The blaster changes to the Altean broadsword in that moment pressed against Shiro’s Galra arm, it hovered inches from Lance’s face, illuminating his terrified features as Shiro stares back, completely void of any emotion.

“Please, don’t stop fighting!! We’re your friends!! Your teammates!! Don’t give up.” Lance yelps as he uses the sword to block the rapid series of attacks. “Come on, you can do this!! You survived in the gladiator ring, you lived through a year of being in Galra captivity, you know Keith never gave up when you disappeared, right? He knew that you were still out there, and you came back to us… come back now and fight her!!”

_“You need to stop her no matter what. I won’t be upset, if it comes down to it…Even if you have to ki-“_

Lance managed to block blow for blow and for a moment he could see it, he saw an opening. He could stop this now, if he thrust his sword forward but that would mean…

Kill me.

“I can’t… I can’t… please, don’t make me do this!!” Lance struggles to maintain his stance as Shiro grips tight onto his blade. “We aren’t your enemy!! The Black lion trusts you, please, reach out to Black, push out that witch!!!”

Shiro stared into Lance’s eyes before his gaze moved to the familiar weapon to Haggar’s eyes. To think, this was Alfor’s legacy. **“You are a fool, just like that oaf of a king.”**

Lance screams out as black lightning projected out of the arm, down the blade and into him. Shiro kicked Lance in his abdomen when Lance lost the grip on his bayard. Shiro tossed it aside, far away from them and it deactivated, lying harmlessly on the ground. Lance groans as he fell to the floor.

This feeling in Lance’s being was familiar. He recalls it back when they first had the big fight against Zarkon, right before Shiro disappeared… that witch shot them with magic that sucked out Voltron’s quintessence. Then again on Naxzela when they pulled Allura away from that power source. This was-

Lance chokes out a gasp as Shiro’s grip was around his throat, preventing him from escape. “Shi.. ro please…” Lance clawed desperately at the mechanical arm, reaching up to where it met flesh and even though it was a long shot, Lance tried, he hopes if he could just get the arm off, maybe he could break her hold. Lance waited, expecting the burn of Shiro’s arm to occur but instead, he saw the swirl of dark energy make its way to him and suddenly all he could hear was his own shouts of agony.

It happened so quick yet so slowly, he felt as if he was getting hypothermia. The slow drain of his life essence left him feeling incredibly cold. First was the feeling lost in his limbs as his arms sag to his sides. He loses too much energy to kick out, every part of him becoming dead weight despite his will wanting to fight against it. Lance struggled to keep his eyes open, but he wasn’t even sure where to look, he couldn’t stand to think that his last sight before he dies is of Shiro like this… this isn’t him…

Weakly, Lance grips onto his wrist but it’s barely a hold, it’s more like his hand rests above Shiro’s own. He has so much to say, that he was sorry he couldn’t stop him… that he didn’t help Shiro sooner… that he couldn’t go through with it. That he didn’t want Shiro to feel guilty, that he still looked up to him even now, that he wish he spent more time with Shiro, that he would do anything to stop Shiro from falling under her control. There was too much to say but as his vision fades in and out, Lance knew he wouldn’t be able to say it all, he pours everything he can into his connection with the Lions, to Voltron, hopefully Shiro wherever he was, could feel it. Over the overbearing sound of his thudding heartbeat in his ears, Lance swears he could hear a lion roar and that brought some comfort that at least his message would reach him. To know that Lance wasn’t upset with him, that he couldn’t ever hate him… That Lance was sorry he couldn’t be better. That Lance was too much of a coward to stop him because he knows Shiro will take this personal… that’s just the kind of guy he is.

Lance sobs softly, giving a small smile, “K-keep…. fighting…”

 

 

“Lance?”

 

 

“What is…no…”

 

 

“No no no no no, Lance?!”

 

 

 

 

“LANCE!!!!!”


End file.
